Ford Fiesta S1600 hot hatch
Ford unveils its new Fiesta hot hatch, the S1600. Does it live up to faster Fiestas of old?
Ford has unveiled this new Fiesta S1600. It’s a name that not only gets us thinking of the classic Escort RS 1600, but is also shared with rallying Puma and Fiesta S1600s of recent years. That’s perhaps where the link with both ends, though. While there’s a makeover inside and out, performance has been left untouched: you get the same choice of 118bhp 1.6-litre petrol and 89bhp 1.6-litre diesel engines as the Fiesta Zetec S this special edition is based on. Still, you can always add Mountune’s upgrade to the former, upping its power output to 138bhp and dipping the 0-60mph time to a respectable 7.9sec. The S1600 is certainly a cool-looking addition to the hot Fiesta lineage – a mild bodykit, classic striped livery (you can choose blue on white or vice-versa), larger rear spoiler and white alloys ensuring it looks the part. Those wheels are 17in on petrol cars, 16in diesel; our experience shows the car boasts a more compliant ride with the latter. Inside there’s plenty of leather and some new ‘Motorsport’ branding, as well as a new pair of pews up front – heated, stitched leather sports seats, complete with side airbags. Lovely. Just 650 Fiesta S1600s are being made, prices kicking off at £16,645. That’s £65 short of a Renaultsport Clio 200 Cup, before you’ve added Mountune’s performance upgrade. Factor in around £1650 to have that fitted. Click here to see the Fiesta Mountune take on its hot hatch foes Henry Catchpole samples the Fiesta S2000 rally car on video See Ken Block’s completely mad 850 horsepower drifting Fiesta
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